[Commercial Vehicle Review]- Volkswagen Caddy Window Van

Both Jacqueline and I have contemplated getting a van as our next vehicle for both personal and commercial use and after the gracious opportunity to test-drive the 1.6 TDI Volkswagen Caddy Window Van, we came to a conclusion that a passenger vehicle would be more practical for us as we can't afford to travel at 70km/h all the time.

A perennial favourite in Singapore, the Volkswagen Caddy is now a more attractive package than ever with a lower price and optimised equipment levels. The cargo area of the Caddy Window Van offers enough room for small and short transportation tasks and it can be accessed both from the rear and sides of the vehicle.

The two different sized rear hinged doors with asymmetric division allow a cargo height of 1.24 metres and the maximum load width is 1.5 metres. The width between the two wheel housings is 1.1 metres.

The completely level cargo floor is 1.7 metres long and it offers enough space for large pallets. At 755 kilogrammes, the payload of the Caddy is extremely high.

The Volkswagen Caddy Window Van comes in two different versions; a 75 PS version mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, and a 102 PS version which comes as standard with a 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox [DSG] automatic. Both engines have extremely high torque outputs of 225 Nm and 250 Nm respectively.

PS in this blog post means Pferdestärke. It is the German translation of horsepower.

For the test drive, we drove the 102 PS TDI engine version which comes with a 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox [DSG] automatic.

Personally, we don’t really have much comments about the exterior appearance of the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van because its exterior look is pretty commonplace. After all, the main purpose and function of a commercial vehicle is to ferry goods from Point A to Point B.

Windows on the sliding door and the side panels allow more light into the load compartment and makes the vehicle aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It also aids the driver in checking blind-spots when switching lanes or turning.

If you are planning to get a commercial vehicle for your own personal private use and you’re not bothered by the aesthetics, the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van makes a good choice.

Interior

There are ample storage areas for almost anything and everything. The centre console has 4 cup holders to contain bottles and can drinks and there’s storage space behind the front seats, under the front seats, on the dashboard, in the glove compartment, the overhead storage, and in the driver and passenger doors.

Both the passenger and driver seat are pretty comfortable and for the driver, the adjustable steering wheel makes driving the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van a breeze. Unfortunately, being a minimalist commercial vehicle, there are no buttons on the steering wheel that allows you to control the entertainment system.

If you are planning to use the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van as a personal vehicle; you can spruce it up by upgrading the multimedia entertainment system and soundproofing the entire vehicle.

Should you be ferrying workers, you can even place a sofa in the cargo space area with a non-slip mat underneath it for additional passengers to sit on.

However, having said that, do take note that it is against the law to ferry passengers other than those employed by you.

Driving Performance

Although the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van is a commercial vehicle, its torque is very powerful and it picks up speed pretty fast. The brakes are tight and cornering is smooth as the power steering makes it easy to steer the vehicle; no matter how heavy the vehicle may be. When going over humps, the suspension of the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van is very sturdy.

Since the transmission is fully automatic, there’s no need to fiddle around with any clutch and it makes driving the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van really easy; even more so for lady drivers. There’s even reverse sensors to aid parking too.

I also daresay that the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van is very fuel and cost efficient; especially when it runs on diesel instead of petrol.

What I really like about the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van is that it comes with a couple of safety features such as Electronic Stabilisation Programme, Anti-Lock Braking System, Anti-Spin Regulation, Traction Control System, Engine Brake Control, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, and Hill Hold Control. The Volkswagen Caddy Window Van even comes with an airbag for the driver. It is a real pity that such safety features for a commercial vehicle is seldom found on most basic hatchback cars.

Overall, the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van is a very decent, affordable, and spacious commercial vehicle that is safe, well-engineered, and easy to handle. If there is one feature that I wish the Volkswagen Caddy Window Van would have, I would really prefer it to have a keyless entry system and a push button to START/STOP the Engine.